The University is now able to offer funding to students graduating in 2018 who intend to carry out a traineeship abroad within 12 months of graduation. For further details please see the 'Graduate Traineeships' section of this webpage

Erasmus+ Key Facts

If you have checked that you are eligible to take part using the criteria on the Erasmus+ homepage, please note the following key facts about Erasmus+:

Students can undertake a maximum of 12 months mobility during their course. This can consist of either studying abroad at an institution with which the University has an inter-institutional agreement, or carrying out a traineeship (previously known as a work placement). Only MML undergraduates and Architecture students doing the 2 year MPhil can undertake a traineeship. PhD students may also be eligible but should check with the Erasmus Co-ordinator in the first instance.

Any student in their final year of study is eligible to apply for Erasmus funding for a Graduate Traineeship regardless of their course level or subject. A graduate traineeship must take place in the 12 month period after completion of any type of Cambridge degree.

A study period abroad must last between 3 & 12 months.

A traineeship (work placement) must last between 2 & 12 months

You may be eligible for an Erasmus grant which is co-funded by the European Union to help cover some of your living costs during your time abroad. (see the Erasmus fees and finance section for more information)

Currently, undergraduate students who go abroad for a full academic year (24 weeks) will only pay a tuition fee contribution to Cambridge which is currently 15% of the full fee for UK/EU students and 50% of the full fee for overseas students. Graduate students continue to pay full tuition fees to the Cambridge during terms of Leave to Work Away.

If you are studying abroad you should not have to pay tuition fees to your host institution but you will need to pay your living costs, accommodation and any other small fees that the institution charges to their home students such as lab costs or a university student card.

You should still be eligible for your tuition fee and maintenance loans during your time abroad.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to maintain confidentiality the International Student Office is only able to discuss a period abroad with the student concerned. We cannot, for instance, discuss a student's situation with a parent, legal guardian or friend unless the student has given us permission to do so in writing

Erasmus Documents

In order to receive your grant and also successfully complete your Erasmus period abroad you must complete a series of documents. These include:

Student mobility contract: This form sets out the terms and conditions of your grant and must be completed before you go abroad.

Learning agreement (study periods only): This should be signed off by you, your department and the host institution before you go abroad and sets out the courses you will take and the language competence you agree to reach before you arrive. Changes to this can be made during your period abroad. You should obtain at least 15 ECTS credits for each term/semester of study, or higher if required by your department

Traineeship agreement (traineeships only): This should be signed off by you, your department and host organisation before you go abroad and identifies what you will be doing during the traineeship; the skills and knowledge you are expected to have acquired by the end of the traineeship and how you will be monitored and evaluated. Changes can be made during the period abroad.

Student report: When you have completed your time abroad you must complete an online student report form. The British Council will provide you with details of how to complete this and failure to do so could result in your grant having to be returned.

Traineeship certificate/Transcript of Records: This must be completed at the end of your period abroad by either your host institution or organisation and is the final section in your Learning Agreement.

Language Assessment and Support

All students going on a new period of Erasmus mobility will have to take a mandatory language assessment. The only exception to this is when the individual will be studying or working in English or their native language. All British Language Assistants must undertake the assessment. The assessment should take place both before and after the mobility period and is via an online tool. You will receive emails from the British Council around the time of each of the assessments with information on how to access the online tool. You will also receive reminder emails if you do not complete the assessments by the deadline specified.

The assessments are available in German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Portugese, Swedish and Czech and must be taken before and after each mobility, even if all placements are in the same language.

The assessment is made up of 5 sections namely grammar, vocabulary, key communicative phrases, listening comprehension and written comprehension with a total of 70 questions

There are also optional online courses for students in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portugese. Priority will be given to students not studying a language. Mobilities being taken in another country should contact the International Student Office to establish whether funding is available for language support.

Failure to complete the assessment may affect your eligibility for the Erasmus grant.

Students will be contacted with further details by the International Student Office.

Academic Recognition

Unlike many EU institutions, the University does not operate a credits-based system. However, all mobility will be acknowledged by your department and recorded on your final transcript.

Visas and Immigration

You will not require a visa to go abroad under Erasmus if you are an EEA national. If you are not an EEA national then you may require a visa depending on your nationality and destination. If you are a non-EEA national and planning on studying abroad please contact your host institution as soon as you are accepted onto a course to discuss your visa requirements. You should also contact the International Student Office if you have any concerns

Health and Travel Insurance

Undergraduates: You are only covered by the University's public liability insurance. This will cover situations where a student is legally liable for damage to a third party, property or injury to a person caused unintentionally during a placement abroad. You must therefore organise your own travel and health insurance. Whilst you are encouraged to have a European Health Insurance Card if you are eligible, this only provides basic health cover so you should organise additional health insurance. In addition to this, you are advised to apply for an EHIC that is specifically for your time spent on a year abroad. To do this you will need to complete a postal application and include various details about your plans as set out on the NHS website. A regular EHIC will not be valid for study/work placements in EEA countries of over six weeks.

You should submit a letter from your College which includes the following information:

name and address of the UK educational institution

start and end dates of your course

details of the qualification you are studying for

In addition, please submit your own letter to confirm where you are going to be studying/working whilst overseas.

Some students may find that they are covered by their parent's private health insurance or that of the host institution/organisation.

Graduate: The University offers comprehensive travel insurance to graduate students travelling outside of the UK as part of their degree for a maximum of 12 months. Whilst there are no restrictions with regards to the destination, you are asked to not go against Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice. You should also ensure that your Department and Student Registry have agreed to the trip and that a risk assessment is in place. Please also obtain an EHIC via the online form on the NHS website

Graduate Traineeships

Erasmus funding is available for students who intend to carry out a graduate traineeship (otherwise known as an internship or work placement) within 12 months of graduation in an eligible Erasmus country. The placement can be paid or unpaid but must be for between 2 and 12 months.

Am I eligible to apply for funding?

You can apply as long as you are in the final year of your course at Cambridge. This is regardless of subject area or course level.

You must have secured a traineeship opportunity before applying for the funding and before you graduate. If you have previously carried out an Erasmus period of mobility as part of your current course, this may affect your eligibility depending on how long you were abroad for. You should discuss this with the Erasmus co-ordinator.

Please note that if a placement in France requires a Covention de Stage, this cannot be signed by the University of Cambridge for Graduate Trainees.

Funding

Funding is awarded in line with the monthly grant rate set by the British Council. The rates vary year on year. The amount of funding you could receive depends on the country you will be going to, the duration of your traineeship, the number of applications received and the available budget. You may not receiving funding for every month of your traineeship and it is important that the funding is recognised as a contribution towards your expenses. It will not cover all of your costs.

As an indication of the funding that you may receive, the grant rates for 2018/19 are as follows:

Please get in touch with the Erasmus co-ordinator (exchanges@admin.cam.ac.uk) if you are currently in the process of securing a traineeship opportunity for when you graduate and you think that you would like to apply for funding. You should provide your name, Cambridge email address, traineeship title and host organisation, country of destination and proposed traineeship dates. Expressions of interest are welcome until the 1st May 2019. You can still apply for funding even if you do not submit an expression of interest, this is simply a way of establishing the level of interest in the scheme.

How to apply- deadline 14th June 2019

Applications can be submitted between the 1st May and 5pm on the 14th June and will be considered on a first come first served basis.

Applications will be considered by a member of the Careers Service and the outcome will be communicated by early July although the funding allocated is not usually communicated until mid to end of July.

If your application is approved

You will be required to complete a traineeship agreement, grant agreement and certificate of arrival in order to receive and keep your funding. Further instructions will be provided by the Erasmus co-ordinator.

Healthcare, insurance and visas

Please note that given that you will no longer be a registered student at the point of starting your traineeship, you will not be covered by the University’s insurance and as a result you will need to obtain your own. You will also be responsible for organising a visa for the country you are going to if you are a non-EEA national.